Stanislaw Maczek - Part 2 - The Polish Frontier Wars and the Russo-Polish War (1918-1921)

So, our intrepid warrior has cut his teeth in the Austrian Alps and set the cornerstones for his glorious career.

We left him bailing back to Galicia in 'mufti'... but where does our hero go from here?

Krakow!

Aerial Shot of Krakow in 1919 showing its world famous market square

Why Krakow and not Lwow deserves a little explanation as to the circumstances I think.

Churchill walking with PM Lloyd George

The Second Republic of Poland was created on the 11th November 1918 and was in many ways a manufactured organism that was set up by the Western powers, especially, Churchill, the Secretary of War in the UK, to be a bulwark against the rising tide of Communism (although at this point very few people other than Churchill saw it as the demon it would become) from the east. Churchill, at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 was one of the few who predicted that the Communist Revolution would not be as wild and undisciplined as predicted by many. This agenda would further muddy the waters of deciding Poland's eastern borders.

Roman Dmowski

At this time Pilsudski's political rival was actually in Paris, whilst Pilsudski was busy in the eastern territories resurrecting the Polish state. Roman Dmowski was a rabid nationalist who was attempting to have the Polish borders of 1772 restored at the expense of the newly independent Lithuania, Belarus and much of the Ukraine.

Jozef Pilsudski

Pilsudski was the smarter of the two where the borders were concerned however. He was more conservative and realised that Poland's best chance of survival was through a form of federation and he strove for a return to the traditional Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, perhaps working with the Ukrainians as well. Being a Lithuanian born noble he very much saw himself as a member of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as opposed to just being a Pole (or Lithuanian as the case may be), which would be an easier thing to understand from a modern perspective.

The conflict with the Bolsheviks arose almost immediately after independence was declared, the first shots being traded on 14th February 1919 in the township of Bereza Kartuska, effectively beginning the Russo-Polish War.

First shots are exchanged

Initially the Poles were successful; occupying the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius by April and the Belarus capital, Minsk by August.

This eastward land grab by Poland dismayed the Western European allies in Paris who had expected a much smaller and far more manageable Poland, and not the 1772 behemoth that it looked like they were striving to achieve.

The Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth at the height of its power.

Pilsudski turned his attention to the Ukraine to fulfil his pursuit of a Central European Federation, which he saw as a collective security measure against the predation of the Bolsheviks and the future hostile reassertion of Germany which was assumed. Alongside an alliance with the anti-bolshevik Ukrainian leader, Seymon Petliura, Polish forces invaded Ukraine on 8th May 1920. They claimed that they were there to liberate the Ukrainians from Bolshevism and would only remain as long as they were needed to guarantee Ukrainian independence.

Polish General Listowski in discussion with Ukranian leader Seymon Petilura

Actually, it was practically an annexation and the Bolsheviks saw it for what it was. In the summer of 1920 the Bolsheviks launched a double counter offensive which was so successful, that by August 1920 the Soviet armies were at the gates of Warsaw itself.

This is where the 'Miracle on the Vistula' occurred. The Polish counter attack was so successful that it all but destroyed the Soviet armies and forced the Bolsheviks to the peace table.

In his biography, Maczek recalled these first chaotic days of independence. He wanted to do something to help his newly reborn country and as such, he was directed to join a guard detail that was protecting a magazine in the Krakow area. There but for the grace of God etc. etc. (talking about Lwow of course, not Krakow).

The Miejski Arsenal in Krakow, 1918

At this time Poland had few military units. Its manpower was spread far and wide with everybody trying to reach home to help defend their state against the perceived aggression of their neighbouring states. Also at this time (ca.1918), there were no military units being directed to the 'front' as there was, quite simply an extreme lack of lower ranks. As usual there was a surfeit of officers but not enough NCO's and lower ranks to fill out the fighting cadres.

1918: Maczek and the Polish - Ukrainian War

Maczek was desperate to return to Lwow, his home, as news was reaching him that the railway line that ran between Przemysl and Lwow was under constant attack by Ukrainian forces. It was hoped that Polish forces would be able to march to the relief of Lwow from the south, via the Sub-Carpathian Mountains.

On 14th November 1918, following his allocation to the magazine in Krakow, Maczek found himself in a long queue waiting to report to the garrison commander of Krosno who was judging everybody’s military capabilities by rank alone. Maczek put himself down as Oberleutnant (Lieutenant) but dressed in mufti he felt like a fraud, which given his experience he most certainly was not!

Polish volunteers march towards the front

However, Maczek's fears were groundless. Amidst a sea of individuals making a long litany of requests such as leave to see families, I need to wash my hair etc. he was one of the few that was desperate to find out how he could help resist the Ukrainians. According to Maczek’s autobiography, the grizzled Colonel Swoboda took his arm and stated "At last! I have a commander for the company for the relief of Lwow; ready to march but at present without an officer”.

On the same day Maczek took command of the Krosno Company who he recalled with especial fondness over 40 years later, reciting names such as Kulczucki from Krosno and Bartosz from Jasla, both former Austrian army soldiers, a couple of Pilsudski Legionnaires, Szczypiorna and Szmidt as well as a mixture of veterans from different armies of the First World War that populated his ranks and boys "straight from school and their mothers skirts!". These men were aflame with enthusiasm for the fight ahead and Maczek, on the following morning, threw out the challenge; "Are you lads ready?"

"We are Lieutenant!"

The Polish army on the march 1919

Of all Maczek’s memories, he cites this time as being one of his proudest. His men trusted him and half had never even held a weapon before. To the Poles, being a part of this time would be equivalent to being a part of Henry V's army at Agincourt or a fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain. 'We happy few’. We band of Brothers' as Shakespeare puts it. To quote Evan McGilvray 'It was one of those brief and unique moments of history that it is an honour to have lived through and to be honoured forever!'

On 20th November 1918 the Krosno Company was ordered to move to Sanok as a part of a movement for the relief of Lwow. Maczek’s men met with Lieutenant Boleslaw Czajkowski's company en route which was tasked with defending the oil rich area of Boryslaw and also subsequently linked up with the Sanok Company commanded by Lieutenant Leszek Praglowski, who apparently sported formal civilian black trousers. From these two additional companies Maczek was able to raise first class troops and commanders for his first specialised group, 'the Flying Column' and later to raise the first 'Storm Battalion' which would, for a brief period, revolutionise Polish warfare.

Polish troops standing next to their train

The move by the Poles to use vehicles in a more mobile form of warfare started in the east. On the night of 20-21st November 1918 at Ustrzyki Dolne railway station on the Sanok-Chyrow line, Polish railway workers warned the train that Maczek was transporting his company on that a Ukrainian train, crewed with Zaporogian Cossacks was approaching, carrying a battery of field guns to boot. Maczek’s men reacted swiftly and laid an ambush. After a short firefight and a liberal use of grenades (he loved his grenades this man!) they captured the train, thus securing with their first taste of combat, their first 'gift' - 4 field guns! These guns then formed the supporting artillery for Maczek’s Company.

Following this precedent success and a string of skirmishes with the Ukrainians, by the end of November the Poles had captured Chyrow railway junction. Maczek’s group, still known as the Krosno Company, was reinforced by the 20th Infantry Regiment and prepared to strike out in the direction of Sambor in an attempt to relieve Lwow at the earliest opportunity.

The offensive was to be led by 20th Regiment, (due to them being fresh) supported by the new field gun battery and Maczek's armoured group which now had the recently supplied armoured lorries made with improvised armour from the railway workshops.

The offensive stalled almost immediately at Felsztyn under the well directed Ukrainian artillery and heavy machine gun fire.

An example of a Polish improvised armoured truck

This halting of the offensive frustrated the Polish officers so much that Maczek led a deputation, including Praglowski, to Colonel Swoboda and lobbied to be allowed to attack in their own tried and tested fashion. Swoboda was struck by the enthusiasm and confidence of his junior officers and agreed to a strike, as long as it was done in the correct manner and that not all of the troops would be thrown into the attack. With this in mind a single company in the Krosno ‘regiment’ was kept in reserve (which almost caused a mutiny in their ranks due to excessive pride and zeal).

Maczek laid his plans for a shock attack on the Ukrainians by night. The Ukrainians were taken totally by surprise, not expecting another attack so soon after stalling the initial Polish offensive and certainly not an attack in the darkness.

A small family view the ruins of their home in Chyrow 1919

Maczek wrote that achieving the rear of Chyrow rail station was easier than expected as the Ukrainians had only prepared it to defend against a frontal assault. He took a company and led a single platoon directly along the railway track. Supporting fire was also arranged. The remainder of the force was to enter the designated combat zone through the hills surrounding Chyrow, from which the Ukrainian HMG's had dished up such heavy punishment earlier in the day.

An example of a dug in heavy machine gun position

Enlisting the help of POW's, 3 HMG's and a single 75mm field piece (actually more likely to be a 76.2mm Russian Orthodox gun if it was one of the captured pieces, but the sources are unspecific on this point) were made ready to fire straight down the railway line along the line of advance of Maczek’s personally led platoon.

The Polish assault was initially successful with Chyrow and the nearby Jesuit Monastery being captured in short order. The opposing forces  though,  were too evenly matched and the conflict devolved into stalemate again with the Poles holding Chyrow and the Ukrainians holding the surrounding hills, from where they launched sporadic attacks on the Poles, who lost Chyrow before counter attacking and occupying it a second time, this time with the assistance of the Minkiewicz Brigade.

Chyrow was of critical importance for the Poles. Not only did it provide a jumping off point for the relief of Lwow but as the stalemate stretched out to months, it became the garrison town of Maczek and his men. However, being all but encircled by the Ukrainians on the high ground and with only a single supply line, it made Chyrow an extremely vulnerable position, which Maczek fully appreciated.

The defenders of Chyrow

The low intensity nature of this war led to plenty of quiet times on this front with the Poles almost forgetting that there was even a war happening, before Ukrainian artillery would again shake them from their complacent slumber. At this time Maczek, along with the other officers, were billeted in some comfort in the Bakowice Monastery just to the south of Chyrow, where they were able to live in a fashion somewhat reminiscent of an Edwardian gentlemens club.

The Bakowice Monastery just south of Chyrow

The Ukrainian war was bringing many momentous changes to the Poles, not least of which was how modern the Polish army was becoming. This was made more interesting by the fact that most of these improvements were achieved 'on the hoof' by assimilating the military traditions and practises of the three former empires with a sprinkling of amateur tampering from Pilsudski's paramilitary Legions.

Maczek shares his memory that due to the lack of formal military intelligence apparatus in Poland at this time, he had to rely on his gut feelings regarding the situation at the front, an ability which would serve him very well in the future. He learnt early in his career not to rely solely on intelligence reports, which at this time could prove to be amateurish at best.

Heavy machine gun positions

It was during the winter of 1918-19 that Maczek came to be seen as a very effective commander of a heavy machine gun company and after a series of clashes with the Ukrainians his prestige amongst his colleagues was building significantly.

In many ways this was a war of mini campaigns, interspersed with long periods of peace and viewed by many as a magical time full of adventure (or Przygoda as Maczek terms it). These times were however always tempered by war. On one occasion when the company set out to launch an attack without proper equipment and were repulsed, Maczek experienced the misery of carrying wounded comrades back to safety and even having one of his officers, Lieutenant Zalewski, suffer a nervous breakdown repeatedly stating 'Maczek is dead! He's not returning!' even to Maczek himself.

Maczek was using these mini campaigns to refine his method of waging war and one area that he was serious about improving was the haphazard fashion in which raids and patrols were being done. He wanted these to be fine-tuned and sharply focused. Maczek chose to go out on these raids and patrols himself, choosing only handpicked, reliable men armed with an abundance of grenades. He considered grenades very capable of causing sudden shock to his enemies, stunning them into torpidity thus allowing for the capture of enemy combatants for intelligence gathering purposes.

Polish troops in trenchs

During late November 1918, Chyrow was held by three infantry battalions supported by two artillery batteries but the position was still somewhat isolated and too dependent on the ammunition supplied by the single railway line. It was routinely threatened and attacked by Ukrainians based in the hills that ran the length of the line.

The most persistent threat came from a Ukrainian howitzer battery that was situated several miles to the west of Chyrow and whose shelling continually threatened the supply line. Maczek was tasked with removing this threat.

Polish troops hunting Ukranians in the snow

For a week, Maczek and his handpicked patrols waded through heavy snow drifts, scouring the hills for signs of the batteries’ location. Hour after hour, day and night, they lay motionless in the snow watching. Maczek sent patrols out in an attempt to provoke the Ukrainians into opening fire with their artillery and thus betraying their position. Finally, by virtue of this strategy, he was able to fix the position of the battery. Maczek planned his attack for a night assault to be launched from a valley just beyond Smereczna (a village situated near the forest), from which ran steep slopes to the edge of the surrounding hills. From there, the Poles were to move between two Ukrainian positions and proceed directly onto the howitzers position.

He took 100 men and Lieutenant Szafran as his 2iC. All men wore camouflage (white cotton sheets) so that they didn’t stand out against the snow at night. Maczek and his men carefully approached the Ukrainian positions, avoiding the sentry outposts and the march through deep snow took most of the night, Dawn was approaching by the time Maczek was in a position to launch the assault but before they were able to begin, they were spotted and brought under a haphazard heavy fire by emplaced Ukrainian heavy machine guns. Uncoordinated but still dangerous to the Poles attack, the frightened and disoriented Ukrainian weapon crews rushed from the buildings in the village, leading horse teams in an attempt to reach their guns and withdraw them. They ran directly into Maczek’s body of men where they were taken prisoner, although Maczek had still not, by this point, reached the howitzers.

Ukranian Artillery 1919

The Poles did not escape without loss though as Lieutenant Szafran was shot through the chest. The Poles were deep behind the Ukrainian front line and were not able to return by the same route that they had started their attack. It was decided to break through the Ukrainian position via the main road, which wound through the valley of the River Strwiaz and along the railway line. This risky strategy relied on speed and the disorientation of the Ukrainians as a result of the assaults, and depended on the diversionary measure of sending assault groups back the way they had originally come in an effort to distract the Ukrainian forces.

Polish luck held firm however. Whilst these diversionary attacks were being launched via the hilltops, Cadet Officer Zawadowski was able to launch a surprise attack to the rear of the Ukrainian positions and with no losses at all, captured an entire Ukrainian platoon as well as the howitzers that had been threatening the Poles in Chyrow. The prisoners and howitzers were successfully extricated and made their way back to Chyrow.

Polish troops over time came to become seasoned veterans

Maczek was beginning to notice that his band of amateur volunteers were becoming seasoned veterans and it was also about this time that Maczek and his fellow officers were starting to become preoccupied with the actual liberation of Lwow. It was identified that there were two obvious military targets in the effort to liberate Lwow on the axis of march from Chyrow. To the left was the city of Lwow itself and to the right the oil rich fields of Bolyslaw that had been lost. These fields were still replete with Polish labourers who only needed arming to rise up against the Ukrainians. In his memoirs, Maczek drew the parallel between the choice facing the Poles and Hitler’s choice between Stalingrad and the Caucasus oilfield drive in 1942.

It was over the planning of the relief of Lwow that Maczek expressed his first reservations over the actions of staff officers. He believed the solution to obstacles being argued over, lay in the enflamed passions of the young officers of the nascent Polish armed forces sitting in the trenches around Chyrow. This was the first time that Maczek considered the use of motorised infantry (with the additional use of farm carts and sleighs as a means of transport) as an antidote to the positional warfare that the Lwow front had devolved into.

In April 1919, Maczek and his men were replaced in Chyrow by the 3rd Legionnaire Division and a battalion from the San Rifles. Maczek was ordered to report to divisional headquarters where he would find General Aleksanderwicz and his chief of staff, Colonel Tyskiewicz very amenable to Maczek’s mobile warfare ideas.  A plan was hammered out that saw the merging of elements of 10th Infantry Regiment and 37th Infantry Regiment into Maczek’s units, the original 'Storm Troop' in order to create motorised units.

Maczek took note that troops liked the moniker of 'storm' and 'flying' applied to their own organisations as it made them feel special with  something to achieve. It made them feel elite.

Polish troops dug in and holding the high ground 1919

The offensive opened in the middle of May 1919, initially encountering strong Ukrainian resistance. However, Maczek and his men’s unorthodox tactics were to win the day and hold the surrounding dominating hills overlooking the objectives that were critical to the success of the offensive, and in resisting the Ukrainian counter assaults.

On the second day of the offensive, Maczek was called into staff headquarters which was operating from a railway carriage.  He received orders to counter the direct Ukrainian attacks being focused on the Staff HQ which were starting to cause the Polish offensive to bog down. Maczek was instructed to stretch his left flank, then assault and occupy the local railway junction. On successful completion the Staff HQ and Polish army flanks would be secured, allowing the offensive to continue unmolested. It was also highlighted that holding the hill overlooking the valley along which the offensive was moving, was considered to be critical to the success of the offensive.

Maczek moved out, taking position lining his men along a high embankment from where he could see the latest influx of raw recruits being thrown into the teeth of Ukrainian guns as they attacked recklessly, firing blindly and too high. "Careless raw recruits" Maczek reflected in his memoirs.

Polish troops launch an attack in the Ukranian War 1919

Maczek's men launched their attacks on the Ukrainian positions on the surrounding hills and swiftly rolled up their positions expelling an entire battalion, who flooded back down the valley leaving a satisfying swag bag of 5 heavy machine guns behind them and a score of dead and wounded. The operation for the hills was over and the directive to hold the hills at any cost was not even an issue any more due to the headlong flight that Maczek and his troops had caused in the Ukrainian ranks.

This headlong flight even enabled Maczek to lead a single platoon in an attack on a nearby position whilst the rest of his company chased the arses of the fleeing Ukrainians. Maczek then used a single artillery piece to guard the nearby road over the hills whilst he and his men prowled through the night ambushing whatever Ukrainians they came across. As a 'denouement' to his victory of the day before, at daybreak, the retreating Ukrainian forces found themselves the target of heavy Polish attacks, including many artillery salvoes and intensive small arms and grenade assaults. Entire Ukrainian formations were scattered in panic, unwilling to fight any further. The route to Chyrow was finally open and safe.

Drohobycz in the '20's

Maczek was considering the fate of Szczerzecz, the town of his birth. He approached Colonel Tyszkiewicz, the staff officer of 4th Infantry Division, proposing an operation to liberate it. He stated that he knew the area like the back of his hand having completed his secondary education there and put it that "as a boy scout he knew the fields". One step at a time, Maczek was given orders to capture Drohobycz, just 30 miles to the south, on the axis of march through Szczerzec on the way to Lwow.

Maczek divided his men into small 'storm' units and gave them a heavy allocation of grenades for use in assaults. At sundown, he took two platoons and bypassed Drohobycz by the east taking the shortest route directly to the main railway line with its massive oil terminal. In the distance, Ukrainians being withdrawn from Drohobycz by train could be heard. Detected, the advancing Poles were fired upon precipitating them to launch their attack on the railway station early. The violence of the Polish assaults paralysed the Ukrainian garrison. This was compounded by the local Polish streaming from their homes and assisting Maczek’s troops in attacking the Ukrainian positions. A short, sharp assault led by volleys of grenades saw the capture of Drohobycz train station with three evacuation trains already under steam, captured before they were able to leave the platforms.

Boryslaw Oilfield

The capture of this important transport nexus meant that the Poles could now consider other vital targets such as Boryslaw and its oilfields. The 3rd Legionnaire Division was tasked with moving in the direction of Chyrow - Boryslaw, whilst the 9th Uhlans were to act as a communications unit. This was a necessary measure owing to the confused and at times, isolated nature of the fighting through the wooded areas between the two towns, with the momentum only being able to be maintained when one unit was tasked solely with ensuring that all formations were up to speed with what was happening. Unfortunately the death in combat of 9th Uhlans commanding officer, Major Bartmanski, somewhat derailed this intention.

Boryslaw Oilwells

Maczek’s 'flying column' had been deployed to the Drohobycz-Boryslaw road in order to impact the Ukrainian flanks. The desire to attack and seize Boryslaw was raised to fever pitch by this time owing to the fact that the Poles had been trying to get there in order to liberate the Poles who actually lived there in the expectation that they would rise up and assist in the war against the Ukrainians.

Maczek’s column moved to the east of the forest from where the 9th Uhlans and the reconnaissance party could see the buildings of Drohobycz just over two miles away. Movement within the town could be seen through binoculars when suddenly a huge mass of civilians could be seen moving towards the Polish troops. The silence of the morning was broken by the pealing of church bells and hundreds of sirens from the oil fields going off. There were no Ukrainians left in the town. The local Polish population had liberated Drohobycz by themselves, disarming the local Ukrainian troops. Sounding all of the sirens and bells in celebration they came out to greet the incoming Polish troops.

Peasants with red and white armbands (the colours of the Polish national flag), armed with captured rifles, assumed the role of guides for the regular troops under Maczek and served to reunite them with the parent formations of 3rd Division and 9th Uhlans. Maczek settled down, instructing the local civilians to notify him at once if couriers were seen coming into town with new orders.

Orders did come and Maczek and his men were ordered to move to Stryj, already occupied by the Poles, in order to be in a better position for the next offensive move. The Ukrainians were stunned by the speed of the Polish advance and fell back precipitously to the defensive belt along the south eastern bank of the Lominca River. Their defensive belt was centred around a bridge which had been prepared for demolition using a couple of heaps of combustible materials and piles of grenades. When Maczek arrived with his troops, one of these heaps was already alight. A Polish detail ran onto the bridge under a hail of Ukrainian small arms fire and despite two men going down (Corporals Wojtun and Bienia) ran to the blazing pile of materials and threw the blazing logs and grenades into the river before they could cause any more harm. Meanwhile, whilst the Corporals were struggling under the bridge, Cadet Officer Zawadowski's platoon, with no men wounded or killed, managed to assault across the bridge clearing it and the local area beyond.

The entire Ukrainian defensive position was opened up and laid bare. Such was the shock, speed and ferocity of the Polish offensive that the Ukrainians gave up any hope of fighting any further. The road to Stanislawa was open!

Polish troops march across the captured bridge

Outside of Stanislawa, members of the Polish Military Underground (POW) approached Maczek’s men. The town centre had already been liberated by members of POW and local militia but the Ukrainians were still in command of the outskirts of the town. A plan was decided upon using volunteers, some of whom went to the town centre with sections of the Flying Column, whilst the rest linked up with 9th Infantry Regiment. It did not take long to drive the remaining Ukrainians out of the town. The celebrations began!

Following the complete liberation of Stanislawa, the Poles again pushed further east being fortunate enough to discover an intact bridge across the river Dnieper at Nizniow. The crossing was taken, and the Ukrainians were again driven from the area.

After the drive from Stanislawa was complete, the situation on the front started to stabilise and settle down. The weather was scorching and Maczek and his men were made responsible for the security of the area around Nizniow and as such being on the leading edge of the offensive, became responsible for the security of the division in the Pokucia region. Despite this, Maczek and his company were long overdue some rest and relaxation. It was decided that this would be granted with the men taking turns to take time off.

Ukranian troops charging

A Ukrainian counter attack destroyed this R&R as they pushed units onto the Zoraw line, resulting in Maczek and his troops quickly returning to the front. Their first assignment this time was the liberation of the hamlet of Czerniow, which was located at the foot of some hills dominating an area of several miles over the river plain, running all of the way to the river Dnieper.

The key positions held by the Poles were those of the 4th Infantry Division, which was situated close to Zoraw, the direction of the Ukrainian push. Maczek recounts that the heat was terrible on these days and at the time of the Ukrainian counter attack, his men were just dispersing into huts having just collected their lunches when a typically Eastern European storm broke. It was short but heavy, with the rain beating against the windows of the dwellings. As suddenly as it had started, it stopped again with the sun reappearing bathing the area with its warm light. Shots rang out and it was revealed that the Ukrainians had taken advantage of the storm to infiltrate the Polish positions from the eastern side and assaulted the Polish positions directly.

An illustration of a Ukranian attack in the Polish Ukranian war

There was no time for coordinated manoeuvres to repel the attack Maczek says. Instead a single platoon of the flying column, reacting with extreme violence, pushed the Ukrainians back out of the village and pursued them out to the furthest Polish pickets, by now supported by Polish artillery fire from every gun under the command of Lieutenant Walasek. Part of Maczek’s company stayed in reserve, whilst the remainder moved swiftly along the cover of the high railway embankment in order to strike the hills from the flanks. The units involved in this counter attack were led only by officers who were proficient in communicating by hand signals in order to effectively coordinate the counter attack. In part, this was done in order to counter the sloppy soldiers who had let the Ukrainians into the village in the first case. It was all a bit like putting the cart before the horse however. As the skies cleared following the Polish reaction to the surprise attack, Polish tank support was able to join the battle. Maczek’s 'boys' meanwhile moved towards the smoke of the fighting interrupting their lunches, drawing the statement from Maczek that 'a hungry Pole is an angry Pole' which only served to add to the fury of the Polish counter attack for the remainder that day.

Maczek’s troops’ rapid reaction to the Ukrainian attack saw the Ukrainians pushed back from the slopes with loss, whilst the Poles suffered very little. Once on top of the line of hills, Maczek tried to decide how to deal with the Ukrainian artillery battery which was again bringing Polish positions under fire. He requested tank support for his attack but before this could be granted he was ordered to attend High Command. Slinging his rifle to his back and with grenades swinging from his hips, Maczek barrelled back down the slope covered in mud until he reached the armoured train being used as a headquarters. He mounted the carriage and was received by none other than Marshal Pilsudski himself.

The kind of train that Pilsudski would have used as his command base

 Maczek made his report, formally and militarily correct; name, rank, etc. and then gave his feedback regarding the fighting. Pilsudski scrutinised Maczek before smiling and saying softly to him "It looks threatening, Lieutenant but from the hills it can be settled quickly. Hold the position until the units from Division are settled in."

Maczek recalled sweating more during this report than he did during his entire time fighting in the hills and the liquidation of the Ukrainian positions. Several weeks after leaving Pilsudski on the train, he received a promotion for his outstanding work on the field of battle. Unfortunately, it was a promotion to lieutenant which he had already held since November 1918. This error was eventually fixed with the promotion to Captain being backdated to June 1919. Maczek was also conscious of the fact that a battlefield promotion was a great honour and he always wondered how much his meeting Pilsudski for a second time and the manner of the report which he delivered would influence Pilsudski's feelings towards him in the future. In fact Pilsudski would, from this point forwards, always remember and remain friendly to the ragged and filthy Lieutenant with the grenades dangling from his belt.

Maczek’s 'Flying Column' was the darling child of Division, which also happened to create healthy rivalry with the other units. This inter-divisional rivalry never affected the tactical and operational integrity of the Polish. In fact, there were some units that worked in a friendly cooperative manner with Maczek’s 'Flying Column' such as the 9th Uhlans, now commanded by Captain Reiss, who manoeuvred as Reconnaissance Troops for the Flying Column and who moved around in wagons as opposed to horseback which would have been the normal modus operandi of Uhlans.

Polish 9th Uhlans during the Ukranian War

It was whilst working with the 9th Uhlans that Maczek became acquainted with the squadron and platoon commanders of the regiment, including the officer in charge of the machine gun squadron; Captain Komorowski, who would later gain fame as 'Bor', Commander of the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowe - AK) Warsaw during the ill-fated uprising of 1944.

Captain Maczek felt honoured when it was suggested that his 'Column' should be remodelled as a cavalry squadron of an infantry regiment, but he refused. Even though he was as pleased as punch that the cavalry viewed both he and his men as their equals, however he was not willing to surrender the independence of operation that the column currently enjoyed.

This opinion of his Column’s reputation was further supported when a communication was received from the 'arms of the division' (i.e. the Divisional Staff) at the front. General Zeligowski had made a visit to the front, leading to Lieutenant-Colonel Jaruzelski coming from divisional staff headquarters with a request. Maczek was asked, on account of his special skill set, to resolve a situation in the nearby Ursuline Convent at Jazlow.

The convent in Jazlowiec (Yaroslavets) today

Given the nature and location of the convent the operation was considered complex and dangerous. Lieutenant-Colonel Jaruzelski, knowing of an impending offensive, wanted his two young daughters along with the other inhabitants of the convent, removed to a place of safety before the offensive.

To achieve this, a special elite detachment, expertly led, was to be deployed. Executing a plan that was based on top notch military intelligence, the operation called for the removal of Ukrainians from two hilltops that could threaten the Polish operation, before the removal of the convent’s inhabitants.

The first priority was intelligence and for this purpose, a small recce party was dispatched consisting of Cadet Officers Michalewski and Mrowke, along with Sergeants Kielar and Szponar. Approaching the ravine that led to the Ukrainian positions, they followed a crooked path which took them to the Convent. From there, they were able to take stock of the area and decide how best to get the girls and nuns out and back to the safety of the Polish lines.

Ukranian positions in the mountains

The Ukrainian positions were arranged in such a way that each position faced an opposing side of the Convent, much like two opposing sides of a cardboard box. It was decided that two small groups would be created; one to be led by Lieutenant Czerniatowicz and the other under Cadet Officer Zawadowski. Both groups would head straight into the hills and engage the Ukrainian positions to their front. Meanwhile, Maczek led the rest of the company directly into the ravine from the Convent.

The Ukrainians were once again stunned by the ferocity of the Polish assaults. Their outlying pickets were overrun without even having time to open fire. However, fire was opened by the Ukrainian positions on the top of the other hills. Pressing their attacks home, the Poles quickly managed to oust the Ukrainians from their hilltop fastness.

As all that was happening, the Mother Superior and her nuns were led to safety, along with the Lieutenant Colonel’s daughters’. Suddenly appearing amongst the war weary armed camp of the Poles, they apparently provided a somewhat romantic image.

Once again however, reality intruded on Maczek’s men. They were once more propelled to the fore as renewed fighting broke out with a string of skirmishes occurring in the Buczacz-Czortkow-Husiatyn area. Successes in this area took the Division to the banks of the River Zburcz.

In the autumn of 1919, and before the liberation of Lwow, the Division was moved to Wolyn. 40 years later in the 1960's, Maczek would reflect often on the pride that he still felt for his 'soldier-volunteers' who fought the first battles for the Polish frontiers and Polish independence.

1920: Maczek and the Polish - Soviet War

The Polish Soviet war of 1919-1920 is a controversial subject. During the rule of Communism in Poland (1945-1989), it was never officially referred to and it was part of the list of events and items that were not to be mentioned or discussed. This led to two generations of Polish sons and daughters who never knew for sure that their grandfathers had been one of the few nations on earth that had defeated the Red Army on the field of battle and won the war.

Polish troops marching past Pilsudski on their way to the front line

A certain mythology surrounds the events of the Russo Polish War which, when combined with the fact that the war itself was a banned subject in Poland between the years 1944 and 1982, the facts have been further occluded. What we can be sure of however is that there was no 'miracle' on the Vistula when the Red army was knocking on the gates of Warsaw, and the Virgin Mary did not come back with fire and brimstone to strike at the Godless Bolsheviks. The 15th August 1920 was a day much like any other; albeit a day which is commonly held to be the date of the victory over one of the world superpowers of the day.

Polish Uniforms worn during the advance east

Despite all of this mythology which is endlessly discussed in circular fashion we can in fact be sure of Maczek’s movements at this time.

We join Maczek again in June 1920, after he had spent time chafing at the bit as a staff officer attached to the staff of General Iwaszkiewicz of the Polish 2nd Army. He managed to extricate himself from what he viewed as 'this chore' and volunteered himself for active service once more. At this time, the very existence of Poland as a nation state was under serious threat once again. The 2nd Army, in which he had until recently been a serving officer, had suffered defeats early on when measured against General Semyon Budyonny's 1st Cavalry Army of the Red Army (the famous Konarmiia), which was advancing towards Poland with the rest of the Red army.

General Semyon Budyonny

2nd Army's Chief of Intelligence, Captain Benedykt had intercepted coded messages to and from Budyonny and had managed to have them deciphered. These dispatches revealed how the Reds were virtually bereft of ammunition, especially for their artillery pieces, on top of which the actual location of the Soviet Brigade Headquarters was pinpointed as being in the Korca area.

This information allowed the 2nd Army to go on the offensive against Budyonny. 6th Infantry Division was detailed to strike from the forests to the north, whilst along the Rowne-Korzec axis the 3rd Legionnaire Division, under General Berbecki was to cover the western flank of the march, protecting 9th Uhlans assault from the south.

The Polish Death Squadron artillery. These would eventually become the 1st Battery
of the16th Motorised Artillery Battalion that served with the Black Brigade in 1939

In his memoirs, Maczek recalled that there was a heavy concentration of Polish troops around this area, which allowed them to launch their almost immediate assault on Korca by going through Miedzyrzecz Korzecki. As a result of this developing situation, Maczek was once more called to the colours. His skills were needed and he was desperate to get stuck in!

Polish troops marching to their positions

At dawn, on the 1st July 1920, Maczek’s communications platoon moved quickly to Miedzyrzecz Korzecki and after a short, sharp fight with the Cossack garrison, expelled them and took control of the town. Late in the afternoon of the same day, Maczek and his troops advanced through the farms and homesteads outside of Korca, where they were then able to successfully link up with 6th Infantry Division and 3rd Legionnaire Division.

At the time Maczek’s troops were marching towards Western Korca two concurrent events would affect things. Primarily, enemy artillery had started laying fire from north of Korca straddling the expected route of advance of the 6th Infantry Division, whilst from the south, a patrol from 9th Uhlans had arrived with Cadet Officer Wielezynski, an acquaintance of Maczek’s from the Boryslaw offensive, carrying Maczek’s next batch of orders. 

Lt Adam Epler

He was sent to Lieutenant Adam Epler, a battery commander of the 3rd Light Artillery Regiment, who knew Maczek from Chyrow (and would become famous for joining his division with Kleeberg in September '39 and achieving victory in the battle of Kock), with the message that General Berbecki was now unsure about attacking Korzec.

These apparent reversal of orders dumbfounded Maczek (and Epler) who had just the day before, been explicitly instructed to return fire at all times along with a demand for instant action against the Cossacks harassing the front of the Polish lines. Now it seemed that Lieutenant-Colonel Bonca-Uzdowski who had issued both sets of orders, wanted Maczek et al to return to Rowne? The tone of the orders was extremely pessimistic and hardly had Wielezynski arrived at Maczek’s position, before it was noticed that the Cossacks were beginning to circle them.

'Lana Sytuacja!' (Nice Position) as Maczek described it!

And so it was, a battalion that was exhausted from marching all night and then standing ready on alert all day were now expected to react quickly in order to counter perceive Cossack threats. It was proposed that the battalion high tail it to the north in order to join up with 6th Infantry Division, conducting an ad hoc recce en route in order to determine the whereabouts of small Cossack units that were infesting the countryside. This collection of reconnaissances determined that there were a number of safe routes back to the river Horyn. The main issue arose from the fact that the local command officer, Major Wolf, despite being a staff officer, had practically no field experience at all in the face of the enemy, and as such the withdrawal was executed as if it was a field parade, done by the Austrian Army book. Doing it in this fashion was bound to be a lengthy procedure and had an increased likelihood of causing panic in the junior and inexperienced ranks, who were busy convincing themselves that the Cossacks had surrounded them and were about to pounce and carve them up!

Cossacks on the hunt

Major Wolf however, was not too proud to deny the fact that he saw his actions causing panic and as a preventative measure he detailed Maczek, with a squadron of heavy machine guns from the 11th Uhlans, to join a platoon of the 37th Infantry Regiment that were acting as the rear guard. After an acrimonious exchange with the rear guards commanding officer, Maczek settled his men down and set about firstly, preventing panic spreading any further and secondly, keeping the Cossacks at bay.

Using his experience, Maczek positioned his troops in the edges of tall wheat fields and then withdrew them slowly back to the positions of the previous day. Orders were issued that nobody was to fire unless ordered to do so. Maczek then set about visually checking the areas of the front line.

The immensity of the landscapes of the Ukraine and more particularly, the Wolyn Voivode left a lasting impression on Maczek. He was of the opinion that the greatest enemy of Poland at this time was the huge height and the vast dimensions of the corn fields through which they were manoeuvring. Hyperbole possibly, but then the eastern Eurasian dimensions have so far confounded two Western European superpowers  of their day (France and Nazi Germany).

An idea of how close cornfield terrain is

Maczek considered the problem. Fighting in corn fields of this nature meant that a potential loss of communication between Polish formations was likely to be a certainty rather than a possibility, even if they were a defensive benefit to the Poles. He realised that the positions were unsuitable for coordinated defences.

The terrain allowed the Cossacks to move to hilltops a mere 600m from the Polish troops, waving their sabres threateningly as they went. Maczek was busy considering that the Cossacks did not seem to exhibit much vigour as troops when all hell broke loose. Contrary to Maczek’s expectations, the Cossacks launched an attack straight into the Polish positions. To make matters worse, it seemed that Maczek was the only one that realised the Cossacks were attacking. He sounded a general alarm, fired off a snap shot from his rifle and then flattened himself to the ground as he was overrun by charging Cossacks stampeding their horses through the Polish positions.

Polish troops being overrun by Cossacks

To make matters worse, Maczek realised that whilst he was busy considering the Polish defensive positions and the lack of vim in the Russian ranks, his troops had taken the opportunity to melt away, leaving him isolated in the corn fields. This only became apparent when he realised that his warning shot was the only shot that was fired and he was quite alone.

Zaparogian Cossacks 1919

Maczek lay quite still, observing the Cossacks searching the local area for stragglers. He realised that he couldn’t stay where he was, waiting for night to fall. It was to be a full moon and it would likely give him away with its light, so he smothered his rifle in his jacket, removed his cap to prevent an identifiable silhouette being given and began to creep away towards the village. Unfortunately, camp fires and the homesick songs of Cossacks stopped any further progress in that direction.

After several hours of crawling away from the direction of the village, a wet and filthy Maczek transitioned from corn field to forest. His finely honed instincts reminded him of circumstances that he had encountered whilst fighting around Korca, so with some caution he began to move to the west and the north-west using moonlight to inform his decisions. He recalled that there was a strange silence; it was as if the world was holding its breath. He began to relax as the tensions left his body and he decided to bivouac deep in some bushes. When dawn rose he slept on for another several hours, only waking with the sporadic fire of artillery in the distance.

By the second night, he had been appraised of the fact that the local Horyn river banks had been heavily settled by Polish emigrants and he was in fact well received at the very first Polish cabin he approached. They fed him, gave him something to drink and allowed him to rest for a while. After this happy interlude, he was passed between a number of local guides who directed him back to the Polish lines, where by nightfall on the third day, he found himself back at Rowne where the staff of the 3rd Division Legionnaires were close to abandoning their positions, due to the pressure of Budyonny’s Army. Maczek received a hero’s welcome as the staff realised that if Maczek had survived then others must have as well (obviously the return to the ranks of the rear guard is in some question). The gravity of the situation however, precluded the lengthy discussions of the situation.

A platoon of French supplied Renault FT-17 tanks

Receiving a temporary field promotion, Maczek was detailed to command two battalions chosen ad hoc and instructed to defend the western approaches to Rowne. He was assigned a platoon of armour with three French built Renault FT-17's but Maczek was unhappy with this allocation, as once he took position in his tank, he became incapable of managing the battlefield operations. It may be helpful here to explain that a turret of an FT-17 is a one man turret with limited visibility, meaning that the commander has to direct his driver, fire the main gun, manage the armoured platoon AND find a way of managing the battlefield all concurrently. I believe that even a modern Apache pilot would struggle this level of juggling. Maczek found himself cut off from the operational situation and he had no faith in the local situation.

One thing that he did reflect on was that with the presence of this limited provision of armour, the Cossacks chose to defer from attacking the Polish positions. 20 years later in France 1940, Maczek would ruminate that not much had changed. Tanks could always intimidate infantry.

General Iwaskiewicz

Maczek’s continued vocalisation of these concerns led to him being withdrawn from the front line and being appointed Communications Officer for General Krajowski's group, but he could not be released to his old staff position due to the pressure that Budyonny’s offensive from the north was placing on the Polish troops. Eventually, frustrations drove Maczek to approach General Iwaskiewicz in Lwow to request permission to form another Motorised unit.

Captain Maczek's 'Storm Battalion', 1st Cavalry Division

Under orders from Colonel Kamionski-Jarosz, Commander of the Central Reserve, Maczek travelled to Jaroslaw in order to form an armed motorised unit. The training of a unit of this nature was expected to take months but Maczek realised that these directions were unrealistic based on the current military situation as Budyonny was again advancing on Lwow. Maczek, along with the support of the Chief of the General Staff, General Iwaskiewicz, was allocated about 400 men from the Central Reserve.

Reserve troops on the move

A mere several days later, Maczek received orders from the commander of 6th Army to act as guard for the Lwow Infantry Division located at Mosty Wielkie.

At the beginning Maczek’s troops were not really a battalion, just three poorly trained and inexperienced companies with two heavy machine guns attached. Nevertheless, it was still detailed to force a crossing over the River Bug and clear and occupy Hill 289 which dominated the town of Oserdow, in preparation for the regrouping of the shattered Lwow Infantry Division.

An old postcard showing the river Bug

Once more Maczek’s finely honed tactics rewarded him with success, just as they had with his 'Flying Column' around Chryow. He overran the outlying pickets and captured two heavy machine guns when from the north, a significantly larger Cossack column of brigade strength, sallied towards the Polish positions. The chance to engage compact, mounted Cossacks at a distance of a mere 800m couldn’t be denied and Maczek exacted a measure of vengeance for the Cossack attack at Korce. This was the first significant victory for Maczek’s 'Storm Battalion' as it was now termed. Whilst not a huge victory it was, nevertheless, achieved by weak and virtually untrained recruits in their very first engagement with cavalry. It was a huge boost to their morale and so the 'Storm Battalion' was born.

Elements of the regrouping Lwow Infantry Division relieved Maczek’s troops who moved to the village of Dzibulki, where orders were received for the root and branch reorganisation of his Battalion from the commander of 6th Army. The changes would be fundamental to the future of the Battalion as it was suggested that they should be merged into the 1st Motorised Division under the current command of General Juliusz Rommel as the Divisions 'Storm Battalion'.

General Juliusz Rommel

OK Warning: Personal opinion coming up! Rommel was most definitely his own greatest fan and a definite legend in his own lunchtime. He would in the near future become the victor of the 20th Century's largest cavalry action in which General Budyonny would lose over 4000 troops. It would all go downhill from there however. An avid writer of fiction, military and political works, he was a distant relative of Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, and he most definitely got the scrapings of the family’s tactical acumen. His catastrophic border deployment of his army in 1939 saw the Nazis cut the army away from its support within three days, precipitating a hasty abandonment and flight back to Warsaw leaving his entire army without its commander! He was, for his troubles, awarded the army of Warsaw by Rydz-Smigly (who by the way had already abandoned his armies and attempted to relocate Polish High Command leading to the catastrophic Command communications blackout) and spent the remainder of the war in German prison camps. When liberated by the Americans, the Polish 2nd Corp (Anders bunch) told him 'F*** off, you're not welcome' which, as a result of this, saw him return to a Soviet occupied Poland after the war, where as one of the few free Poles to return, he was lauded by the Communist state as a national hero and plastered with all sorts of awards. However all of this was still to come... This guy makes my stomach turn!

The 1st Motorised Division’s commanding officer had to make sure that there was enough opportunity and time in which to re-allocate the Uhlans officers and NCO's who had lost their mounts into the Battalion. Furthermore, sufficient vehicles also had to be found to allocate to the Battalion. All of this heavy swapping and changing caused Maczek deep concern because as he stated; even though the Storm Battalion had only experienced a few days of battle (which were in reality only skirmishes in the big scheme of things), already a sort of tradition and a developing 'corp d'esprit' had taken root and he wasn’t happy at the degree to which his troops would be affected by the new influx of reinforcements, especially in the matter of mixing cavalry troops with infantry troops. Maczek felt that the Battalion as a whole would likely lose some of the mobile capabilities that it was becoming so adept at exploiting, as the cavalry traditionally seemed to be more staid in their approach to tactical execution and seemed to be less open to exploring the more aggressive tactical possibilities.

Almost as if in support of Maczek’s reservations, the actual reluctance of the Cavalry troops to join forces with the infantry became apparent in the form of a near mutiny breaking out. Maczek was confronted by a delegation of Wielkipolski Cavalry Brigade NCO's who detailed that whilst they were prepared to fight as infantry due to a lack of available horses, they categorically refused to live with the infantry. Maczek remembered this as being a critical moment in his career and realised immediately that he had to face down the mutineers. Maczek faced them with only his faithful Cadet Officer Mrowka in support. Mrowka himself having only recently been released from hospital following wounds received in action.

A Field Court Martial sitting in session

Maczek nipped the mutiny in the bud by succinctly arresting the ringleaders on the spot and passing them to a Field Court Marshal. It would seem however, that the Court Martial never sat in session as Maczek recounted later, that one of the mutinous Sergeant-Majors was one of the first to be decorated for bravery in combat. He also related that a similar situation arose 23 years later in the Polish 1st Armoured Division with the differences arising between the Cavalry and Tank units. 23 years more mature however, Maczek was able to resolve the situation using psychology, reasoning that the men cannot be blamed for their actions if the commanders of their indoctrination foster a belief of regimental exclusiveness.

The following day, Rommel paid a visit to Maczek’s training establishment, where his troops had already been divided up into sections for weapons training. Rommel appreciated that time was needed for training but owing to the present military reality, he told Maczek that he could spare no more than three weeks. Maczek accepted the situation stoically (I wonder if he was a philosophoic stoic at heart?).

Troops of the Konarmiya

The very next evening however, operational orders landed on his desk from the commander of 6th Army, detailing the necessity of the 'Storm Battalion' participating in the operations on the next day, by working alongside the 6th Cavalry Brigade to smash the Soviets 24th Division's front at Warez. Maczek’s Battalion was to serve as guide to the 6th Cavalry Brigade in dogging the steps of Budyonny himself who was on his way to the Battle of Warsaw.

Maczek stood ramrod straight and reported that his Battalion was a long way from being even barely ready to participate successfully in an action of this manner but despite his protests, his Battalion was pressed into action. It was dark when his column, alongside the 8th Uhlans and accompanied by a collection of officers wearing the old Austrian great coats against the cold of the night, reached the main route to Warez. The battalion patrolled the flanks of the column and searched the way ahead for surprises.

Soviet field artillery battery

Before dawn broke over the horizon, the column encountered the enemy for the first time. Heavy machine gun fire was drawn down on the reconnaissance patrols from the northern edge of the forests on the hills that dominated both sides of Warez. The heavy machine gun fire was soon supplemented by Soviet artillery. It looked as though the Soviet staff had anticipated the route of attack by the Poles and had their advance well covered, as the artillery and heavy machine gun fire from the forests was finally supplemented by fire from infantry outposts as well.  

Maczek estimated the range to be in the region of 1,200m and observed that the concentrated nature of the incoming fire gave it away as coming from professional troops. The Poles launched their attack against the forest positions undeterred. Maczek recounts in his memoirs, that he was very impressed by the conduct of his young officers, some of whom he had only known a few weeks. Despite their fatigue, they launched themselves against the Soviet positions through a hail of fire!

The Poles were struggling manfully against the massed Soviets and they still lacked artillery support, with the single artillery piece that was known to be in the area receiving repairs for damage and furthermore having no ammunition or orders. Maczek however, noticed that the Soviets were not pressing their advantage and in fact the weight of their fire was weakening. Finally, the attacking Poles received support from other Polish batteries that were within range and combined with the weight of fire that their own heavy machine guns were able to lay down, Maczek’s troops were able to push their assault home, with the result that the positions of the Soviet 24th Division was holed. The fight for Warez was as fierce as it was important as the town held critical importance to the future path of the battle. The Poles, with much shedding of blood, eventually pushed out the Soviets completely and were able to wholly occupy Warez, clearing the route to the rear of the Soviet positions.

A view of the panoramic art work at Raclawice in Wroclaw showing the scythe
armed peasants piling into the Russian artillery. The scythes are the same as
displayed on Polish 303 squadrons icon; the Kosciusko Squadron

There were losses of course, although they were not as heavy as could have been expected and the price of such an important coup was considered well worth paying. Rommel later honoured the men of the Battalion by renaming it the 'Raclawiski Battalion' after the April 1794 action at the Battle of Raclawice in which Polish peasants armed with scythes, charged and amazingly captured the Russian artillery batteries. Maczek recounted that the contrast of the 'horror against the mundane' after this battle struck him most savagely as the cries of the wounded and dying stood in stark contrast to the ruined houses, field kitchens and wider detritus of an army on the move.

This did not draw a close to the fighting in the area around Warez however. The Soviet 24th Division counter attacked for the remainder of the day in an attempt to drive the Poles back down the valley and slam the door shut in their faces. Once again, Maczek received orders from Brigade Staff Headquarters via Captain Morawski to come down into the valley from the hilltops and follow 6th Cavalry Brigade, who had already moved towards Tyszowca. The problems of moving before dusk were apparent to Maczek who did not relish the idea of his new troops blundering into the Cossacks in the dark. To make matters worse, before he was even able to set off, heavy rain set in. This meant that any movements needed to be carried out on foot as the road quickly became unsuitable for wheeled transport.

on the march!

Maczek’s men followed the hoof marks of the cavalry, slowed by constantly having to weave around Cossack patrols, when a report was received from the rear stating that the 9th Uhlans were under heavy attack from a Cossack raiding force. Maczek detached a part of his force to go back and help the 9th Uhlans while he continued on with the remainder of his men, although by the time the detachment arrived, the battle was over and only the debris of the destroyed Cossack force remained.

Caught in the storm, Maczek’s group was in a mess. Not just because of the weather but also because they were cut off from any communications. They were bereft of supplies and practically unable to move because of their lack of vehicles. Later the next morning, contact was established with Major Dembinski, the commanding officer of the 9th Uhlans, who also was bereft of communications. He was only able to inform Maczek in which direction they were all moving.

Maczek made the decision to requisition horses and wagons from local farms. This was difficult on account of it being a war zone and most had already been requisitioned. Despite this however, some were acquired.

Maczek eventually reached Zamosc with his troops where the Battalion was reorganised, stood down and received some long, LONG overdue training. Maczek could not be certain, but reflected that after a couple of weeks the soldiers and NCO's of the 'Storm Battalion' who were AWOL, invalided or on leave, returned to his Battalion to a man.

The Battalion reformed, this time supplemented with machine guns, mortars and following the experiences of facing Budyonny, armed wagons. This unit came to be known as 'Captain Maczek’s Storm Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division' and were chomping at the bit! However, the war against the Soviets was already over.

Russian prisoners after the battle of Warsaw 1920

Poland had triumphed at the gates of Warsaw on 15th August 1920, the Bolsheviks had been crushed and victory had been achieved. 

The frontiers were finally established. 

But, these frontiers would become the bane of the Second Republic for as long as it existed...